Feds to wind down certain Indiana naturalization ceremonies, block on-site voter registration

The federal agency that confers citizenship upon thousands of new Hoosiers annually is pulling back from naturalization ceremonies held in donated venues — to the alarm of volunteers who won’t be allowed inside the “in-house” alternatives to register prospective voters.

The Indianapolis Public Library’s Central Library regularly hosts U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) ceremonies in its expansive auditorium, but after scarcely a month’s notice, its last will be next week.

USCIS told library staff that ceremonies “will no longer be held in public places” in an April 17 conversation, library spokeswoman Mary G. Barr relayed. A written notice the next day said the cancellations would take effect May 22 and were “due to a decision by (Department of Homeland Security)/USCIS leadership.”

Under President Donald Trump, USCIS has stopped coordinating ceremonies in so-called sanctuary cities that limit local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. But a spokesperson confirmed that this shift is not related.

Instead, the agency hopes to “maximize use of resources.”

The nitty-gritty of naturalization

Naturalization candidates can take their Oath of Allegiance at one of two event types.

Two federal courts, operating throughout Indiana’s northern and southern districts, hold judicial naturalization ceremonies about twice monthly.

“The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana annually provides USCIS with the list of ceremonies we will conduct for the next calendar year along with the number of citizens we can accommodate at each one,” Public Information Officer Doria Lynch wrote. “The Chief Judge then issues an order authorizing USCIS to administer the oath to any citizens above that number.”

Northern District Court Clerk Chanda J. Berta and Lynch indicated judicial naturalization ceremonies are unaffected; for example, an annual Independence Day-themed ceremony with the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site is still a go, as are annual May ones with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
 

USCIS representatives can also offer the oath at administrative naturalization ceremonies held either at agency facilities or donated venues. It’s here that the agency hopes to make changes.

USCIS’s manual lays out detailed requirements for what materials can be distributed, as well as the ceremony check-in process, program, guest speakers, participation by elected officials, post-ceremony voter registration and more. It also governs how USCIS should coordinate with external organizations and vet facility donation offers.

“Conducting administrative ceremonies in-house saves the agency resources by reducing the staff and supervisor time needed to coordinate logistics with the outside venue, conducting pre-ceremony meetings or walkthroughs, day of setup and breakdown, as well the time involved in conducting ethics reviews of proposed guest speakers and facilities donated to the government,” a spokesperson wrote.

“Indiana locations are not considered ineligible to host ceremonies,” another response read. “USCIS will simply focus resources on in-house administrative ceremonies, rather than external.”

When asked if it had notified groups that regularly donate venues for administrative ceremonies, USCIS didn’t answer.

Focus shifts to field office

It’s unclear if USCIS’ withdrawal will impact ceremony capacity — or require the Indianapolis Field Office, where the agency already naturalizes candidates, to pick up any new slack.

It’s the only such location in Indiana, according to the USCIS office locator. The locator directs Region residents to the Chicago Field Office, but doesn’t suggest locations in Cincinnati or Louisville to other border-dwellers.
 

The Indianapolis Field Office, like other locations, “routinely conduct(s) administrative ceremonies in field offices, at regular intervals, as frequently as is necessary,” the spokesperson wrote.

The Southern District has the capacity to offer additional ceremonies and has already scheduled some smaller ones on an as-needed basis, per Lynch. But, she wrote, “It is up to USCIS to notify us if they require additional judicial assistance.”

But changes to the administrative variants could impede efforts to get Indiana’s newest citizens registered to vote.

Post-ceremony sign-ups no more

Barbara Tully is among the small group of dedicated League of Women Voters’ Indianapolis chapter members who volunteer to sign new citizens up after ceremonies conclude. They registered more than 2,500 naturalized citizens on-site last year, and have already tallied upward of 900 this year, she said.

For administrative ceremonies, that’s likely coming to an end.

Asked if USCIS would invite organizations offering on-site voter registration services to ceremonies at the Indianapolis Field Office’s 10th-floor space in the Landmark Center downtown, a spokesperson wrote: “No. New U.S. citizens are provided with general information on how to seek services, including registering to vote.”
 

Tully said the league floated a variety of set-up possibilities but got no traction.

“We tried to see if we could come to their office,” Tully recounted. “… It could just be two league people. It doesn’t have to be like the seven or eight — or however many of us — here to register new citizens. And she said, ‘Well, we really don’t have the space for that.'”

Setting up in the building’s lobby or parking lot, meanwhile could get in the way of other tenants.

“We can’t impede traffic in the parking lot, No. 1. We could be asked to leave because it’s private property. We might have to be on the sidewalk. The weather would have to be good,” Tully listed. “I mean, there’s a lot of hurdles to just standing outside that stupid office building.”

She noted that the changes come as Indiana leaders ramp up scrutiny of citizenship in voting.

Legislation requiring proof of citizenship for those who used temporary forms of identification while registering to vote goes into effect soon — potentially entrapping recently naturalized citizens. The league has encouraged those Hoosiers to present their citizenship certificates to their county voter registration offices after July 1, but is also among groups weighing legal action.

“It’s not right,” Tully said. “You know, they’ve done what they needed to do to become citizens. They’ve gone through all the hurdles, they’ve paid the money, they’ve taken the test, they’ve shown all the documentation that they need to show.”

Correction: This story was updated to clarify that the events held in coordination with the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site and Indianapolis Motor Speedway are judicial naturalization ceremonies, and to make clear that this type of ceremony will not be affected.

Leslie covers state government for the Indiana Capital Chronicle with emphases on infrastructure, transportation and elections. You can reach her at lbonilla@indianacapitalchronicle.com.